Nakaya
Nakaya Decapod Writer Sumiko Gold ST
Nakaya Decapod Writer Sumiko Gold ST
The Decapod is one of the most distinctive and instantly recognizable of the pen styles created by Nakaya. Uniquely well suited to Urushi finishing, the facets on these ten-sided pens allow the underlying color to be clearly seen.
Sensible and elegant packaging have been a hallmark of Nakaya. All Nakaya pens come packaged in handcrafted finery, as painstakingly constructed as the pens they protect. The heavy decorative rice paper, simple solid softwood shipping box and fabric pouch make a lovely presentation for Nakaya Urushi pens.
With its matte black finish and sleek gold accents, the Nakaya Decapod Writer Sumiko Gold ST fountain pen is a study in minimalism. This pen utilizes the Sumiko technique, which involves mixing charcoal powder with Urushi lacquer to produce the smooth, rich texture.
At a closed length of 5.88 inches and a weight of 22 grams, this is not only a stunning work of art but also a mid-sized pen that can easily become your everyday writer. Nakaya pens can be filled with bottled fountain pen ink using the provided converter, and can also use Platinum brand ink cartridges. Hand-painted Maki-e converters are also available.
The ten facets of the Decapod model follow from end to end in a long smooth curve. In addition, the facets prevent the pen from rolling off of a flat surface.
A gold Taka Maki-e has been utilized between the cap and the barrel.
This same technique produces striking results on the gripping section, lending a lustrous gold sheen that is only revealed once the pen is uncapped.
Notice how the ends of the Decapod Writer Sumi-ko Gold are beveled to finish the facets. Not only does this trim the cap and barrel ends, but it also provides a rounder edge, more likely to wear evenly.
14k nibs are well-suited to customizations including Stub, Cursive Italic, and Left Oblique, as well as the modification for added flex - see our nib customizations page for more information.The double slit Music nib is available at an added premium, as are plated nibs in Pink Gold, Rhodium, Ruthenium, or Two-Tone - consult our Nakaya Nibs page for details.
Decorative rice paper, a simple solid softwood shipping box decorated with Japanese Kanji script, and a fabric pen ""kimono"" are all included with this pen, making it a lovely presentation item. Sensible and elegant packaging has long been a hallmark of the Nakaya brand.
Nakaya pens are individually handcrafted in a process that requires a minimum of three to six months and often much longer.
Unless requested otherwise, each pen or nib you purchase from us will be carefully examined, tested, and optimized for your personal writing characteristics before it ships. See our nib set-up and optimization page for more details.
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Customization Guide
Stub
 
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Above is the same size nib after a regrind to Stub. A regrind to Stub is often a good place to start for your first customization. Â A Stub nib provides broad down-strokes and narrow cross-strokes while writing, and is less position-sensitive on the paper than the crisper and slightly more demanding cursive italic.
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Cursive Italic
 
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More demanding, but also providing crisper edges and more line-width variation, is the very popular customization to Cursive Italic. This also provides broad down-strokes and narrow cross-strokes, but is also more position-sensitive in terms of how the pen is held and requires more skill on the part of the user. This is a common customization for artists and calligraphers, but is still smooth enough to make for a good everyday writer.
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Formal Italic
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Formal Italic is an even crisper and more demanding customization than either cursive italic or left oblique, and is usually utilized for calligraphy and by the most experienced users. This provides broad down-strokes and narrow cross-strokes, with even crisper corners and edges than a cursive italic - this is an extremely position-sensitive customization.
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Left Oblique
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 Commonly used for signatures and correspondence, the Left Oblique customization provides broad diagonal strokes and narrow cross-strokes, and like a cursive italic, is more position-sensitive and demanding than a stub. The whole pen must be rotated to the left in order to write smoothly, without skipping. The "Left" in Left Oblique refers to the cut of the nib itself, and does not refer to the handedness of the writer. |
Architect's Point (Also for Arabic and Hebraic writing)
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A more exotic regrind is that to Architect’s Point. Named after the style of writing used by Frank Lloyd Wright, this regrind is the opposite of cursive italic, and provides for broad cross-strokes and narrow down-strokes. This also tends to be a particularly useful customization for those practicing Arabic or Hebraic calligraphy. |
Spencerian
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Perhaps our most popular customization, but also one of the most advanced, the Mottishaw Spencerian Customization has gained special attention from being featured in a customer's YouTube video which has now received over twelve million views! The Spencerian starts from a semi-soft 14k nib and adds additional flex and a regrind to needlepoint to create a specialized writing point used for copperplate calligraphy. For more details, visit our special Spencerian page.. |